Prevalence and Trends in Suicidal Behavior Among US Military Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nichter, Brandon; Hill, Melanie L.; Na, Peter J.; Kline, Alexander C.; Norman, Sonya B.; Krystal, John H.; Southwick, Steven M.; Pietrzak, Robert H.

doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2332

Cited by 50 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Results of this study further indicated that prepandemic loneliness and pandemic-related social stressors were associated with an increase in psychological distress [ 15 ]. Although suicide among veterans over the course of the pandemic did not increase, low social support and worsening of social relationships were among the risk factors present for veterans who did develop new-onset suicide ideation during the pandemic [ 16 ]. Additionally, at the beginning of the pandemic, it was hypothesized that there might be a mental health crisis among older adults due in part to complications from the difficulty in adopting technologies useful during quarantine (eg, software to facilitate telehealth visits or stay connected with loved ones) and lack of contact with friends, family, and caregivers [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

Jaworski¹,

Taylor²,

Ramsey³

et al. 2022

JMIR Ment Health

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Background Although the COVID-19 pandemic has not led to a uniform increase of mental health concerns among older adults, there is evidence to suggest that some older veterans did experience an exacerbation of preexisting mental health conditions, and that mental health difficulties were associated with a lack of social support and increasing numbers of pandemic-related stressors. Mobile mental health apps are scalable, may be a helpful resource for managing stress during the pandemic and beyond, and could potentially provide services that are not accessible due to the pandemic. However, overall comfort with mobile devices and factors influencing the uptake and usage of mobile apps during the pandemic among older veterans are not well known. COVID Coach is a free, evidence-informed mobile app designed for pandemic-related stress. Public usage data have been evaluated; however, the uptake and usage of the app among older veterans have not been explored. Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize smartphone ownership rates among US veterans, identify veteran characteristics associated with downloading and use of COVID Coach, and characterize key content usage within the app. Methods Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), which surveyed a nationally representative, prospective cohort of 3078 US military veterans before and 1 year into the pandemic. The NHRVS sample was drawn from KnowledgePanel, a research panel of more than 50,000 households maintained by Ipsos, Inc. The median time to complete the survey was nearly 32 minutes. The research version of COVID Coach was offered to all veterans who completed the peripandemic follow-up assessment on a mobile device (n=814; weighted 34.2% of total sample). App usage data from all respondents who downloaded the app (n=34; weighted 3.3% of the mobile completers sample) were collected between November 14, 2020, and November 7, 2021. Results We found that most US veterans (81.5%) own smartphones, and that veterans with higher education, greater number of adverse childhood experiences, higher extraversion, and greater severity of pandemic-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were more likely to download COVID Coach. Although uptake and usage of COVID Coach were relatively low (3.3% of eligible participants, n=34), 50% of the participants returned to the app for more than 1 day of use. The interactive tools for managing stress were used most frequently. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for and creation of digital mental health tools. However, these resources may require tailoring for older veteran populations. Future research is needed to better understand how to optimize digital mental health tools such as apps to ensure uptake and usage among older adults, particularly those who have experienced traumas across the lifespan.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

Jaworski¹,

Taylor²,

Ramsey³

et al. 2022

JMIR Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on population mental health poses significant challenges (Patten et al 2021). While numerous studies have reported increase in psychiatric morbidity since onset of COVID-19, in particular for population levels of depression and anxiety (COVID-19 Mental Disorders Collaborators, 2021;Thorisdottir et al 2021;Santabárbara et al 2021;Fancourt et al 2021;Pierce et al 2020;Samji et al 2021), some studies have also suggested the possibility that the overall effect on population mental health was moderate (Hafstad et al 2021;Sharp et al 2021;Knudsen et al 2021;Nichter et al 2021;John et al 2020). Several of these studies suggest greater mental health issues among those diagnosed with COVID-19 and perhaps among certain population cohorts such as the youth population.…”

Section: Mental Health and Societal Impacts Of Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

The global impact on mental health almost 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic

Gavin

Lyne

McNicholas

2021

Ir. j. psychol. Med.

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Approaching 2 years into a global pandemic, it is timely to reflect on how COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of the global population. With research continuing apace, a clearer picture should crystallise in time. COVID-19 has undoubtedly had some impact on population mental health, although the severity and duration of this impact remain less clear. The exceptional period of COVID-19 has provided a unique prism through which we can observe and consider societal mental health. This is a momentous time to be involved in mental health research as we strive to understand the mental health needs of the population and advocate for adequate resourcing to deliver quality mental healthcare in the post-pandemic period.

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“…Patients with pre-existing mental disorders appeared to be at higher risk for wide-ranging mental health effects [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Regarding the veteran population, the results from recent studies revealed resilience to mental health problems and lower rates of suicidal ideation among US military veterans nearly 10 months into the pandemic [ 8 , 9 ]. However, these studies also showed that the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder increased and the prevalence of major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remained stable during the pandemic [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

PTSD Symptoms and Coping with COVID-19 Pandemic among Treatment-Seeking Veterans: Prospective Cohort Study

Letica-Crepulja

Stevanović

Palaić

et al. 2022

JCM

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Background: The aim of this study was to examine post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom levels and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic among treatment-seeking veterans with pre-existing PTSD. Method: A cohort of 176 male treatment-seeking veterans with pre-existing PTSD during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (T1) and 132 participants from the same cohort one year after the onset of the pandemic (T2) participated in a longitudinal study. All participants responded to a COVID-19-related questionnaire and the following measures: the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Brief COPE. Results: The intensity of overall PTSD symptoms, avoidance symptoms and negative alterations in cognitions and mood was lower at T2. PTSD symptoms were not significantly correlated with SARS-CoV-2 potentially traumatic events (PTE) at T2. Veterans scored higher on emotion-focused and problem-focused coping than on dysfunctional coping. Conclusions: Veterans with pre-existing PTSD who were receiving long-term treatment coped with COVID-19 stressors without the effects of retraumatization and a consequent worsening of PTSD symptoms.

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Prevalence and Trends in Suicidal Behavior Among US Military Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 50 publications

References 49 publications

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

The global impact on mental health almost 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic

PTSD Symptoms and Coping with COVID-19 Pandemic among Treatment-Seeking Veterans: Prospective Cohort Study

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